Heavy snow causes Bristol man's roof to collapse

BRISTOL, Ind. -- The melting snow and ice hitting Michiana is causing damage beyond flooding. One Bristol man came home to find the roof of his garage collapsed Wednesday.

ABC57 talked with one roofing expert who says there are little warning signs that your roof might soon collapse, but there are ways you can help prevent it.

Tim Keech came home to see his garage destroyed after nearly two feet of snow on the roof caused it to collapse early Wednesday.

Keech was at lunch when he got the call from his neighbor.

“He told me the roof was on the ground,” Keech said.

Keech says the building is just 12 years old and houses everything from cars and boats to motor homes.

He says even with the heavy snow, he had no idea his roof would collapse.

Roofing expert Allison Phillips says that’s expected. But people can prevent it by frequently clearing the snow from their roof.

Also look for any dips in your roof, which can be a sign that the roof is weak and could fall.

And finally, check your insulation. He says roofs shouldn’t have a lot of snow or have too little.

“If you have a roof that has no snow on it you need more insulation in your attic. And that will prolong the life of your roof because it won’t go through the freeze and thaw as much,” said Phillips.

All things considered, Keech says it’s his lucky day.

“If you look at these doors, these doors were blown open by the pressure of the roof falling. That’s how much these doors opened up. So that roof had to come down awful quick. And I’m not that fast,” Keech said.

Roofing experts say if you don’t feel comfortable getting on top of your roof, there are roofing contractors you can call who will do the job for you.